In a counter attack on AICC president Sonia Gandhi for questioning him about his performance during the five months in office, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday charged that the Congress, which was now demanding a grand vision from him, had done precious little for the common man during the past 60 years and provided a most corrupt rule in Maharashtra during the last 15 years.
launching his campaign for the Assembly polls in Maharashtra in late BJP leader Gopinath Munde’s home district of Beed and later addressing massive election rallies at Aurangabad and Mumbai, Modi pilloried the Congress and its erstwhile ruling alliance partner NCP for looting the State treasury during the past 15 years and exhorted the people of the State to give a full majority to the BJP so that it could restore its erstwhile status of being the No. 1 State in the country. He asked them to teach the Congress a lesson for all the troubles in the State despite their 15-year rule.
He, however, steadfastly refrained from attacking the BJP’s ally, Shiv Sena, in all his speeches.
“Nowadays it has become a fashion for the people (in the Congress) to criticise me. But, they have no issue to criticise me. Because I am not corrupt nor do I allow anyone become one.
They preface saying that five months have passed since my Government came to power and ask me as to what is my grand vision for the country. I would like tell them that the country has enough of your grand vision for the country during the 60 years. The (Congress') grand vision helped only the big people. But the grand vision has not helped the common man in anyway," Modi said in all his election rallies.
Modi went on to say: "I am a small man, coming from a poor background and have to this level from being chaiwalla. I am a small man, work for the lower strata of the society. I am a small man but I think doing big things lower strata of the society"
Modi said that the Congress had forgotten the humiliating defeat it suffered at the BJP in the recent lok Sabha polls. "These days, there is competition among the Congress leaders as who criticises or accuses me most. So much so that while the competition to seek votes has reduced within the Congress, the tendency to criticise to me has increased. The people who are busy criticising me should remember what happened during the run-up to the lok Sabha polls and afterwards. Despite their vehement criticism of me, the voters gave such a resounding reply to them. But, the Congress leaders are not still not ready to learn lesson from their party poll debacle. Suffice to say, let them indulge in one more round criticism of me".
Modi, who was critical of the Congress and NCP in all three election rallies for their corrupt rule in the State for the 15 years, said: "Be it the NCP and Congress. They belong to the same "gotra" (clan). After all, the people in both the parties belong to the same original Congress. Their habits are the same. Their style of functioning is identical and their objective is the same. They are Rashtravaadis but Brashtacharvadis."
"Amitabh hosts Kaun Banega Crorepati. The Maharashtra Government used to play Kaun Banega Arabpati every day as long they were there in power. It is high time we freed the country from these corrupt people," he said.
Modi said: "The two parties have looted the State treasury. The EVM machines should also throw up empty response for them from the voters in the October 15 elections. That is ideal punishment for these two parties".
Hitting out at Sharad Pawar for doing precious little to arrest the unabated suicides by debt-trapped farmers in Maharashtra, Modi said: "The Former Union Agriculture Minister came from a State, where as many as 3,700 people used to commit suicide every year. He was also the leader of the party that ruled State for 15 years. But, they conducted themselves like they had nothing to do with farmers' suicide. They were more interested in carrying on with politics."
Modi, who refrained from either attacking or even referring to the Shiv Sena in all his speech, told the audiences: "You have seen enough of the alliance Governments in Maharashtra. Please get out of mindset of giving power to alliance. Instead, give power to one political party. Give absolute majority to the BJP. I promise you that sitting in New Delhi, I will dedicate myself to you fully. I promise you that I will not only undo the damage caused to the State by the previous but also put back. If you have confidence in me, then give the BJP an absolute majority in the polls."
Earlier, launching the BJP's campaign for the October 15 State Assembly polls, Modi paid tribute to late BJP leader Gopinath Munde who, he said, had contributed a great deal to the welfare of poor, those from backward classes and farmers. "If Gopinath Munde was still around, I wouldn't have been required to come to Maharashtra. I had full faith in him. He looked after the poor, those from backward communities and farmers. Maybe God wanted him more than I did," he said.
"Gopinath was my younger brother. (I am) appealing on his behalf, the country will only progress if Maharashtra progresses. Maharashtra will have to be saved. People of Maharashtra can speed up economic prosperity. Maharashtra needs a BJP Government," he said.
Hitting back at the Congress leaders for their criticism of him, Modi said: "They want an account of my work...What have they done in the past 60 years. Give me 60 months and I will pull the country out of the troubles."
"The Congress leaders ask me what my Government has done during the past five months. You tell me, Congress was in power for many years. America mein kabhi Hindustan ka danka baja tha kyaIJ But it happened this time. Didn't the world look up and seeIJ Didn't America pay attentionIJ" Modi asked.
On his recent US and Japan visits and the visit of Chinese President Xi Jinping to India, Modi said people must be wondering how the State will benefit out of the bilateral engagements. "My reply to them: China will develop an industrial park in Maharashtra. Youth will get jobs. Japan will help with the Mumbai-Ahmedabad high speed rail. Maharashtra will progress".
Seeking to election rallies to push the 'Swachchh Bharat Mission' launched by him on October 2, Modi said: "Do not forget to carry the water bottles and paper from the rally ground. Do not leave the litter behind."
Addressing a large election rally held at Mahalaxmi Race Course later in the night, Modi appealed to Mumbaikars to provide absolute majority to the BJP so that it could speed up development in the country's commercial capital.Among other things, Modi promised that the BJP would provide a home with water and electricity connection to each of the slum dwellers in Mumbai by 2022.
"The poor have worked hard for the development of Mumbai. I pledge to give them their own homes with water and power supply by 2022. We will give the same to all the poor across the country," Modi said.
Underscoring the importance of Mumbai and Maharashtra in the context of the country's progress, Modi said: "If Mumbai lags behind, then the whole country will lag behind in progress and development."